Anita's Super-Sized Nine Patch Quilt

March 15, 2014

I'm featuring the video tutorial and pattern for my Super-Sized Nine Patch Quilt in honor of Worldwide Quilting Day. The video can only be viewed on computers located in U.S

After seeing Alex Anderson in the video, head over to see more of her, and Ricky Tims in The Quilt Show. Quilters often tell me that they loved and miss Alex's show. Oh my goodness, they have been missing out on her. The Quilt Show's 169 shows are available this weekend at no charge. My work is featured in episode #905

I've been teaching quiltmaking for 20 years. I'm always teaching online at Craftsy; in a few weeks I'll be teaching on the first of four upcoming quilt cruises. It will transit the Panama Canal.

A former teacher and my brothers figure in my blogging.

Back in the day, in my biology class, Mr. Roycroft graded our essays by counting intelligent statements. An essay required a minimum of 3 paragraphs. A paragraph required a minimum of three sentences. Sentences were counted only if they were intelligent statements. No filler was allowed.

In the margin top of  my essay a cryptic grade was penned in red ballpoint. The best grade was  vgwog which meant 'very good work old girl.'   A boy might receive vgowob.  I was 14 years old, Simon and Garfunkel had released "Mrs. Robinson" and the best AP grade I ever received was in biology.

I have two younger brothers. Growing up I briefly kept a diary.  I kept it locked. I was naive. Of course my brothers picked the lock. They were also adept in opening a locked bathroom door.

I don't blog about anything that I want to keep from my brothers and I won't take up your time with filler.  I'd rather be in my sewing room than at my computer, wouldn't you?

Enjoy this Worldwide Quilting Day,

Anita

Anita's Arrowhead Quilt Block in Alternate Sizes

July 20, 2013

Q:  Do you see anything 'wrong' in this 1-2-3 picture?

A:  Well, in 2008 Frances and Connie were spied simultaneously trimming an Arrowhead

block at Riverbank State Park. They were efficient, in-synch, and it was a happy time.

My block, Anita's Arrowhead,  was first published in  Rotary Cutting Revolution from C&T Publishing, subsequently in Quiltmaker Magazine and is always available online in my extensive Craftsy class, Traditional Blocks Made Simple

I intentionally designed the block to use quarter yards of fabric.  As I'm often asked to re-size the block, I'm sharing my document, Anita's Arrowhead Alternate Sizes  should you wish to proportionately scale your blocks.

You may download my document for your personal use and are welcome to link to it. You may not sell it or republish it in any print or electronic form, without my written permission.

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Good Fortune, Ginger and Fred (1/3)

Previous posts   2/3   3/3
In 2001, I found a simpler way to paper piece. I was able to piece an entire quilt block onto one sheet of lightweight translucent vellum. I use Simple Foundations vellum.

I never have to sew separated subunits together. If your computer is located in the U.S. you may view this  technique on HGTVcom. These videos about Simpler Paper Piecing were recorded in January 2003

Unlike Humpty Dumpty, if you don't cut a foundation pattern apart, you wont have to put it back together again.

(Stay with me, this is the preamble to my Quiltmaker 100 Blocks Blog for Friday)

C&T published both of my books of classic 6" paper pieced blocks: Make It Simpler Piecing and Perfect Blocks in Minutes, the Make It Simpler Way. The patterns are printed on 9" wide pages. This unusual  width accommodates the blocks’ 6" finished size. Most of the blocks are classics and in the public domain;  I hold the copyright to the unique foundation patterns, i.e. the line drawings.

“Good Fortune” is a four patch design by Clara Stone (Brackman #1184.)  The Foundation pattern for it (above) appears on p30 of  Make it Simpler Paper Piecing.

Don't even think about cutting the foundation pattern into four sections

On January 2, 2003, I pieced the Good Fortune block below. Four subunits (left) were pieced onto one sheet of vellum. I folded it in half and stitched a continuous seam. I unfolded my work and then folded it perpendicularly. I stitched the remaining seam. I never used a pin. If you watched the videos you understand the concept.

Eight years later I rotated each of the four units and spun them off into a variation for a baby quilt. The spin-off became “Ginger and Fred” which developed into one of my CuttingLines™ pattern. The baby quilt is still in pieces.

To be continued on Friday with a special pattern for download.

Anita's Unbiased Block

Houston, November 4, 2011

The Candy Striper

I'm pleased to share Anita's Unbiased Block which I demonstrated yesterday at Quilt Festival. At the moment it's dawn in Houston and I'm on my merry way to teach my signature Old Italian Block method in the convention center. Now all of us will have something new to work on.

Anita's Arrowhead pattern

For a limited time, Quiltmaker Magazine has posted their PDF version of Anita's Arrowhead. 

The link is here There is no charge for the magazine version.  Alternate block sizes for Anita's Arrowhead are available here

Anita's Arrowhead is in my eBook:  Rotary Cutting Revolution  and included in my Craftsy Class: Traditional Blocks Made Simple